Improvement in puzzle-blocks



E. U. K'INSEY. Puzzle-Bloqk s. No. 207,124. Patented Aug. 20, 1878,

\ UNITED ST TES PATENT, -OFFICE.

ERNEST UQKINSEY, OF PASSAIG, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND PRESTON LITTLE, OF TRENTON, NEW JERSEY. g

IMPROVEMENT IN PUZZLE-BLOCKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 207,124, dated August 20, 1878; application filed November 22,1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST U. KINSEY, of Passaic, in the county of Passaic and-State of New Jersey, have invented an Improvement in Block Puzzles, of which the following is a specification: I

Letters Patent No. 5,170, heretofore granted, for interlocking tiles, represent the two-faced portions of the tile as in line with each other,

and ashaving a central portion of the same size formed by aribat two of the edges and grooves at the other two edges, whereby the tiles will interlock firmly. 4

My invention consists. in the employment of toy blocks of the same shape to form a puzzle,

and I mount them in a square or oblong frame,

that -.-surroimds-them-moderately tight, one space being left instead of a block, so that the frame, but can be gradually changed in posiorders. If the surfaces of the blocks compose a picture, then the puzzle will be to an range the blocksin the order to makeup the complete picture.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a plan view, representing the blocks in a frame. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of some of the blocks separately, and Fig. 3 is a section at the, line .10 :20.

Each block a has 'a rib, b, at one edge, unitin g at the angle with a rib, c, at the other adjoinin g edge, and with corresponding grooves at the two opposite edges respectively, so that each block is of a shape that would be produced by three layers of square pieces of wood,

, each about one-tenth of an inch thick, the in. termediate layer being placed so as to project about an eighth of an inch at two of the edges. The grooves are rather larger than the tongues,

so that the blocks can be slid freely, and the blocks are all packed together into a square or oblong form and surrounded by a quadrangular frame, d, having tongues or ribs 0 upon the inner edges of twoof its sides and grooves g upon theinner edges of the other two sides.

One space, f, is'left unoccupied by a block; hence the next block, at. either side, can be slid into that'space, thus shifting the space from place to place and allowing a gradual movement of the blocks, and any block can gradually be moved. into any position; but the blocks are all held in the frame.

ltblocli'sar left out from two or more spaces the" shifting of the blocks will be facilitated, but there will be opportunity to remove the blocks from the frame. If one rib on each of two or more blocks is removed then the blocks can be taken out of the frame after the said block has been removed, and it will be necessary, in replacing the blocks, to introduce at the last one of the blocks having but one rib next to the block that has also but one rib.

If desired the frame may be made to open,

so as to be closed around the blocks when they have been placed in position. For this pur pose one or more of the corners may be held a with a hinge or with a metal corner-piece, h, and pins or screws. This allows the blocks to be (separated from the frame and arranged or disarranged more rapidly, after which the frame is placed around them and secured.

The blocks might be made triangular, or as diamond-shaped parallelograms. When of a triangular shape the blocks will be similar to the square blocks divided diagonally from cor- .ner to corner.

I am aware that alphabet-blocks have been made with grooves at the edges and projecting heads entering undercut grooves in the surface of a holding-board. In my puzzle the blocks interlock by the ribs and grooves on their edges, and they are held by a snrrounding frame.

I claim as my inventionadapted to receive the said blocks and hold A block puzzle consisting of a group of them together, substantially as specified. blocks, each of which is provided with ribs Signed by me this 19th day of November, and grooves at its edges for interlocking with A. D. 1877.

the adjacent blocks, as set forth, and with let- ERNEST U. KINSEY. ters or pictures or portions of designs upon Witnesses: v one or both surfaces, in combination with a GEO. T. PINOKNEY,

surrounding frame having ribs and grooves WILLIAM G. Mo'r'r. 

